Church school turns down girl from family ‘not Catholic enough’
A mother claims her daughter was banned from attending a London church primary school because she was "not Catholic enough".
Emma Murphy says she was told her application to get four-year-old Mae into the school, where she attended nursery, was refused because the family attended Mass once a fortnight instead of weekly.
According to St Teresa Catholic Primary School in Dagenham, it meant they were not "practising Catholics", Ms Murphy said, although she and her three daughters were all baptised in the faith.
The decision was today criticised by education campaigners.
Ms Murphy claimed she could only attend church every two weeks after suffering complications while carrying her youngest daughter, Ria, including sciatica and gestational diabetes.
She said: "I could barely walk at the time. I had to use crutches, but I still got to Mass every other week. I haven't the heart to tell Mae she has been refused a place. She loves that school and really wants to go."
The school got an overall "good" Ofsted rating in its last report.
Mae was offered a place at St Joseph's Catholic Primary in Dagenham, more than a mile from her home.
After losing an appeal, the family contacted the Local Government Ombudsman who ruled there was no legal reason why St Teresa could not admit Mae but there had been no administrative failure.
Fiona Millar, chairwoman of Comprehensive Future, said: "There should be fair and open criteria for local schools so every child has the chance to learn there regardless of social background, religion or how clever they are."
Andrew Copson, of the British Humanist Association, said Mae's case revealed "extreme discrimination".
Monsignor George Stokes, the director of education in the diocese of Brentwood, said: "Practising Catholics get preference... a practising Catholic is meant to go to Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days."
Barking and Dagenham council said the Ombudsman had confirmed that the school had followed its admissions processes fairly.
